Lock or latch.



L. OTTINGER.

LOCK 0R LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. :5. 1916.

1,1 92 449. Patented July 25, 1916.

wan. l3 @M D [STATES PATENT omen.

LEON OTTINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOCK R LATCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON O'rrINGER, a

citizen of the United States,'and a resident of the city of New York, county and State of New -Yorlr, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks or Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to locks or latches, and has for its object to provide a new construction which causes the door on'which the lock or latch is carried to be held tightly in position under yielding pressure.

Advantages resulting from my construction are the following: In the case of a stationarydoor a very wide latitude of lit between the door and the'jamb is permitted and wide variations 'of such fit (as byshrinking of the wooden parts) may take place without impairing the efficacy of the lock to prevent rattling, whether the doorcontacts with a stop or is merely held in position by the engagement of the locking or latching member with arecess on the jamb.

\Vhen the lock is used on a d or designed to close a chamber substantially arr-tight (as in the case of a refrigerator) the result is cheaply and effectively obtained because my lock acts under all conditions to maintain the door tightly pressed against the stop without modification of the usual door and casing constructions. Where the lock is used on a door which is on a inoving structure such as an autonn'abilc. street car, railroad car, boat, or similar structure. the movement of the door and easing relatively to each other may take place without any rattling or vibration.

In other words, a lock or latch embodying my invention is enabled to cmripletelv perform the function of a loclcor latch.

which is to tightly close the door Opening and maintain the tight closure without the possibility of rattling whether the door structure with which itis usedbe cheap and poorly fitted or costly and carefully titted and finished.

In the drawings l have illustrated a con struction embodying one form of lock made according to my invention. 'But it will be understood that the invention may be one bodied in look constructions widely dill'er ing in details of: construction froir that illustrated in the drawings' In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed March 15, 1916. Serial No. 84,407.

tion of a portion of a door and door casing I showing the lock or latch in elevation; and in locked or latched position, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section along Lne line of Fig. 1 show-- ing the parts in locked or latching position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2- hut showing the locking; bolt withdrawn. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section along line ;1 1 of Fig. 6 of a modified form showing the locking bolt in projected position. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4. but showing the locking bolt withdrawn. Fig. (1 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawings like numerals of reference casing 4 to support and maintain the various parts in position.

The locking or latching bolt is, designated by the numeral 8, and it will be understood .that it suitably su 'iported and guided between the casing 4 and the frame 7. The locking bolt is provided with a shoulder 9 against which bears astrong spiral spring 10 which acts to project the locking bolt into its outermost position. A. lug or pr jeetion 1'1 is also secured to or formed integral with the bolt 8, which lug or projection '11 contacts with the operating lever 12 pivoted at 1 5 and projecting through a slot 14. I

It will be understood that the form of lock illustrated in thedrawings is one especially adapted for use. with the door f an automobile and the parts are. designed to cause the bolt. to be always n rmally pro jet-led. the retraction of the bolt being ctlected either by the movement of tho.han l lever 12 or the turning of the shaft. 13 by an outside kno or lcev. (n t shown) which lath-r movement acts to secure the desired result of relracling the. l cking bolt by a projerlion ll. secured to shall; 1-? being turned lo lllllliltt with and to transmit force hv its r tation lo a projection l7 extending upuardlv from the locking bolt. sprinf' 15 is shown as earing on the hand lever 12 cess in the lock-engaging portion secured to the jamb is made of a width in excess of the width of the locking bolt projected into it in order to provide clearance, and the usual clearance is onc-thirty-second of an inch on each side; so that usually there is a capacity for lateral movement of the locking or latching bolt in the latch engaging recess of onesixteenth of an inch. This play has been found a practical necessity to insure ready entry of the bolt or latch into the recess. But this practical necessity for what is really a misfit of the parts, makes practically every door subject to rattling, and, to just the extent of the play allowed, prevents tight closure. It is this defect, primarily, which is cured by my invention; and this too in an ordinary cheap lock or latch construction which is operated by the mere slamming of the door.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings as embodying one form of my invention, (referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3) I show theend of the locking bolt with the usual curved or beveled face 8' but provided with a central horizontal slot cut-away portion 20 in which is pivoted 1.10 rocking hook-shaped lever 21 which acts in the manner hereinafter described to ex ert lateral pressure against the face of the latch-engaging recess to cause the door to be pressed tightly and yieldingly by spring pressure against the stop 3.

The rocking lever 21 is pivoted on a pin 22, passing through the end of the locking bolt and is provided at its inner end with a cam piece which in the forward move ment of the locking bolt contacts with a projection 24 whereby the rocking lever is oscillated or rocked on the pivot 22 to cause its outer end to contact with the face 25 of the locking-engaging recess 26. As shown in the drawings, and particularly on Fig. 2,

the face of the cam piece 23 and the edge of the projection 24 are so .shaped that, with the particular dimensions 01 the projecting end of the rocking lever 21. and the width of the recess 26 the entire force of the spring 10 is diverted at right angles to the line of n'iovcment of the bolt through the medium of rocking lever 21 to cause the door to be pressed tightly against the stop 3; so that the locking bolt is not completely projected,

I this condition and relation of parts being illustrated in Fig. 2.

ilVh'ile my lock will. act perfectly with a lock-engaging recess having the usual 'clear ance I prefer to give a greater clearance and have so designed the construction illustrated in the drawings.

The operation of the parts is plain. Re-

ferring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and assuming the parts to be in the positions illustrated therein, the backward movement of the handlever 12 or the turning of the shaft 15 by a knob or key, will retract the locking or latching bolt 8 and cause the cam piece 23 to move out of contact with the projection 24 so that the side of the opening in the lock casing through which the bolt 8 projects will aline the rocking lever 21 with the projecting portion of the locking bolt as it is withdrawn to innermost position out of the latch-engaging recess as shown in Fig. 3. Assuming the door to be open, the locking bolt may be operated as just described and the bolt held by hand retracted until the door is in closed position and the bolt then released; or the parts may be actuated by the mere slamming of the door as is common. In the outward movement of the locking bolt from the positionshown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the spring 10 will project the bolt or locking member 8 into the recess 26. In this forward movement the cam piece 23 comes in contact with the projection 24 whereby the rocking lever 21 is given a lateral oscillation on its pivot 22 as the bolt enters the recess 26, so that, as a whole,vthe projecting portion of the bolt 8 is expanded in the recess 26 to thereby exert lateral pressure to keep the door tightly pressed against have simply shown a usual construction in which a lever piece 28 suitably pivoted in the lock casing acts by impingement against the beveled face 6 of the lock engaging member to force the locking bolt back by means of a pin 29 working in a slot 30. As this feature is a common and widely used construction no further description of the parts shown in these views is deemed necessary, it being understood that the manner of OINFRtlOII of the other parts is not thereby 'modilied.

The present application is a continuation in part of the application filed by me on the 26th day of March, 1915, Serial No. 17,087.

What is claimed as new is: I j

1. In a latch, a latching member, an opposed latch-engaging member, means for limiting the transverse movement of said latching member in one direction when extended, and means acting between said latchengaging member and latching member for forcing the latter yieldingly toward said limiting means when the parts are latched.

2. In a latch, a latching member, an opposed latch-engaging member, a stop, and means acting between' said latch-engaging member and said latching member for forcing the latter yieldingly toward said stop when the parts are latched.

3. In a latch, a stop, a latching-member having its outer side relative to said stop parallel therewith, and means acting between said latch-engaging member and said latching member for forcing the latter yieldingly toward said stop when the parts are latched.

4. In a latch, an expansible latching member, an opposed recessed latch-engaging member, and means for expanding said latching member within said recess to engage the wall thereof with yielding pressure when latched.

In a latch, an expansible latching member, an opposed recessed latch-engaging member, and a spring acting upon said latching member to expand the same within said.

recess to engage the wall thereof with yielding pressure when latched.

(3. In a latch, a latching member, a movable part carried thereon, a spring for forcing said latching member outward, a latchengaging member, means for forcing said part laterally, said latching member being limited in its outward movement by said part contacting with said latch-engaging member under pressure of said spring when latched.

7. In a latch, a latching member, a transversely movable part carried thereon, a spring for forcing said member outward, an opposed latch-engaging member, and means acting on said part to force the same laterally under the action of said spring to engage said latch-engaging member with yielding pressure when latched.

A latch comprising a latching member, an opposed latch-engaging member, a spring for holding said latching member in yielding engagement with said opposed member so as to permit relative movement between said members, and means for transmitting said pressure transversely of said latching member and yieldingly against said latchengaging member when in latched position to prevent lost motion.

9. A latch comprising a latching member, a latch-engaging member, means pivoted on said latching member and extending from the side thereof to contact with the inner surface of said latch-engaging member, and a spring for holding said members and said means in engagement under yielding pressure whereby looseness between the parts is PL'OX'GIltQd.

10. A latch comprising alatching member, a, latch-engaging member, a pivoted lever on said latching member and extending from the side thereof, means for projecting said lever outward into yielding contact with the inner surface of said latch-engaging memher, and a spring for holding said members and said lever in engagement under yielding pressure whereby looseness between the parts is prevented.

ll. A latch comprising a latching member, a fixed part adjacent the same, a latch-engaging member, a hook-shaped lever pivoted on said latching meinbe and adapted to engage said fixed part to project its opposite end into yielding contact with the inner surface of said latch-engaging mem-. her, and a spring for holding said latching member extended and said lever in contact with said latch-engaging member under yielding pressure.

Cigned at New York, county and State of New York, this 14th day of March, 1916.

LEON O'ITTINGER.

Witness:

CLARENCE V. SnINN. 

